Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to solar arrays and, in particular, to automatically obtaining information pertaining to a solar array.
Description of the Related Art
Solar arrays generally comprise a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) modules deployed in a grid-style configuration, where one or more of the PV modules are coupled to one or more power converters, such as an inverter for inverting DC power from the PV modules to AC power. Information pertaining to the placement of each component within the array is required for efficient operation of the array, for example for generating a graphical depiction of the array for monitoring purposes or for dispatching a technician to address a problem with a particular PV module or inverter.
During installation and commissioning of solar arrays, installers often manually document required information for identifying the locations of the array components (e.g., PV modules, DC/DC converters, DC/AC inverters, DC/AC wiring connections, or solar trackers). For example, an installer may manually enter an identification (ID) number for a component into a chart that depicts the layout of the array; place a sticker with an ID number on a component and place a corresponding sticker indicating the ID number onto a sheet of paper arranged in the same layout as the array; or perform similar techniques for collecting and documenting the array layout information. Such methods of obtaining data pertaining to the physical arrangement of components in an array are tedious and prone to human error.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for efficiently managing data pertaining to an installation layout.